I Knew You Were The One
by BeYourselfAndSmile
Summary: When Lauren opened up to Joey about Jake, Joey does everything he can to protect her from being hurt. Little does Lauren know Jake was only a cover up to hide the fact that she was unconditionally in love with Joey. Maybe he felt the same way...
1. She's Mine

I sat up in my bedroom, wrapped up in all of my blankets not talking to anyone. I really didn't see a point in anything anymore, Jake said he didn't want me anymore… That his life he made with Sadie was more important. I can kinda understand why he did it, I mean this guy does have a child but he shouldn't have played with my feelings, made me fall deep for him. The memory of last night kept going round and round inside my head.

**_-Flashback-_**

**_"We can't do this anymore Lauren, I have a family." Jake stared at my as my eyes began to fill up quickly with water._**

**_"What? No. This is fine, we'll be okay. Jake listen to me, we are going to be okay. We just need to trust each other." I smiled between cries trying to make him see sense._**

**_"No. No. Lauren, we're done. For real this time." He began to walk off down the alley when I stopped him again._**

**_"Just don't be like this. You obviously felt something for me when you met me. Just don't through this away." I felt a tear fall straight down my cheek._**

**_"Goodbye." Jake said in a stern voice._**

**_I slowly broke down in tears against the wall of the alley way. I couldn't believe he did this to me. I thought he loved me. Obviously not._**

**_-End Of Flashback-_**

"Lauren? Are you alright babe?" I heard Dad call from outside my door. He didn't dare to enter after last time, I threw a complete tantrum when he walked in and demanded to know what was wrong.

"I'm fine." I sniffed. Obviously that was a lie but I couldn't come clean about what happened. Not to him. At times like this, I wish Mum was still around.

"Is she still not coming out?" Abi spoke as Max entered the kitchen rubbing his head.

"Nope."

"Well, I kinda have an idea…" Abi quickly grabbed her bag and walked slowly down the hall.

"Wait? Abs, tell me what you're doing?" Max followed her quickly.

"If she doesn't want to talk to any of us about what's upsetting her, then let's get the one person she will talk to."

The front door slammed shut as Max finally figured out what Abi meant. Joey. If I wanted to open up to anyone, it would be him.

Abi slowly entered the café trying to not attract any unwanted attention because she was busy trying to find Joey. She quickly scanned the room and noticed him in a booth right in the corner of the room. She walked over to the booth and sat opposite him.

"Alright Abs?" He looked up as he noticed her opposite him.

"You remember how you felt about Lauren?" As she spoke Joey looked down. There wasn't a second that he didn't think about her. "And how you'd keep her happy?"

"What are you getting at?" Joey leant forward waiting for Abi to reveal the real reason for her coming here.

"Basically she came home in tears last night and wont come out of her room, for anyone. Dad tried to talk to her but there was no response. She wont open up to anyone…"

"And you were thinking she'd open up to me." Joey sighed.

"Look, I wouldn't ask if we weren't desperate."

"Lauren?" Joey quietly knocked on my bedroom door as I slowly opened it placing my head around the frame.

"What are you doing here? I thought you'd be busy…" I rolled my eyes as I remembered where I saw him the other night.

"That's not what you think." He sighed as I let him inside my room and we sat on the bed.

"So, I've been told you wont talk to anyone…" He looked at me. "Wanna tell me why?"

"It's fine. I'm alright honestly."

"Lauren, you're forgetting that I know you better than anyone." Joey smiled at me. "I can help you know."

"You won't understand." I put my head in my hands.

"Try me, I bet I will. Honestly." He began arguing with me.

"You know I have counselling?" I watched him nod as I continued my story. "Well I met a guy there. He was nice, and sweet and we had everything in common… Like everything. We were so perfect and we started dating, until I found out that he didn't really want me anymore." I looked down.

"What happened?" Joey seemed interested to know the details of this situation.

"He said that it couldn't work because he had a family to care about. He said he had a wife to love, and a daughter to look out for."

"Oh my god Lauren, I'm so sorry." He took me in his arms and I hugged him tight. "What's his name? Who is this guy?"

"His names Jake." I looked up as the words finally clicked in his brain.

"Wait, You mean Sadie's fella?" He looked down at me as I nodded. "What and you didn't know about her?"

"Not at the start, no. But then he kept changing his mind, saying that he wanted me and not her… and then two days later he would tell me that we were a mistake. I was so confused."

Joey quickly rose to his feet and I stood up too and followed him into the hall. "Joey, where are you going?"

"To make him regret this." He shouted.

"Joe-" Max's voice was cut off as Joey slammed the front door closed as he exited.

"Well done, Dad. Joey doesn't need this!" I shouted at him.

"It wasn't my idea!" Dad looked back at Abi as she stood behind him.

"I was just trying to help." She said quietly.

"Whatever." I quickly grabbed my jacket and ran outside after Joey.

I watched Joey storm down the street as if nothing and nobody could stop him. I tried to keep up with him but he was moving too fast for me. At the end of the path he noticed Jake stood alone talking on the phone.

"D'you think you're funny do ya?" Joey shouted causing Jake to turn around and look at him.

"I'm sorry mate, you talking to me?" Jake slowly pulled his phone away from his ear as I ran up behind Joey.

"He's not worth it Joey!" I noticed Joey's fists begin to tighten.

"But he is."

"I'm sorry, I haven't got a clue what you're on about." Jake fake smiled. He obviously knew I told Joey about us.

"Come here." Joey grabbed him by the neck and pulled him into a dark nearby alley. "I swear to god if you mess Lauren around anymore I will kill you. Don't come anywhere near her, you got that? She's mine." Joey spat as he kicked Jake straight in the leg causing him to crouch down.

My heart skipped a beat. Did he really just say that? I was his? Oh my god.

"Jake, I don't understand why you did that. All the crap about loving me, it was just to get what you wanted and it clearly wasn't my love."

"I never meant for this to happen." Jake whispered holding his leg and leaning against the brick wall.

"Well now it wont, will it. Unless you want that wife of yours finding out." Joey smirked.

"Is that a threat?" Jake looked up.

"Yes, yes it is." Joey nodded confidently. "Now leave Lauren alone. She's got me, she doesn't need you."


	2. The Truth

I slowly opened my eyes as the gap in the curtain let the sunlight enter the room and hit me straight in the face. It was as if nature was telling me it was time to wake up. As I slowly sat up I noticed Joey sat at the bottom of my bed.

"Morning." He smiled at me as I rubbed my eyes.

"Morn-" I was still a little groggy from my sleep. "I thought you went home?"

"No, Max said I could stay. After all, I'd much rather stay with you." He continued to smile as he handed me a coffee.

"You don't have to do this, you know. I am absolutely fine." I nodded taking a slip.

"I know Lauren, I just wanna make sure."

I felt slightly awkward talking to Joey this morning. I mean I didn't know if we were a couple or not. He said that I was his last night, but that might have been just to keep Jake away. I'm so confused right now. I'm just so scared to ask Joey what he meant. But here goes nothing.

"What did you mean last night?"

"About what?" Joey asked looking over his shoulder as he fully opened my curtains.

"You told Jake I was yours… What did you mean?" I blinked as he sat next to me.

"It's complicated Lauren." He held my hand and looked down at it. "Don't get me wrong, I have feelings for you. They're just complicated. Especially with what's going on with Janine."

"Oh yeah, Janine." I rolled my eyes remembering about her.

"Honestly it's not what you think babe." He tried to reassure me but I didn't believe him.

"Joey. You can admit you have feelings for her, It's fine. I wont get upset I promise." I tried to smile the comment off.

"No, no. I promise it's not like that." He slowly walked towards my bedroom door and closed it.

"What are you doing?" I looked towards the door.

"Telling you the truth." Joey gulped before continuing. "Remember the night of Michael's Murder?"

"Yeah. Course." I tried to stay with him.

"Well, Alice didn't cause the second stab wound. She only stabbed him once. In the leg to protect Janine. Janine stabbed him the second time, while Alice was out of the room."

"Are you serious?!" I looked at him. "See, I knew Alice wasn't a killer."

"So did I. That's why I'm with Janine at the moment." Joey's voice crocked towards the end of that sentence. "I'm going to get her to confess to what she did to Michael. I have microphones all over her house. I swear Lauren, I'll get a confession out of her."

"So… You don't love her? At all?" I smiled slightly as I realised what he was doing.

"Not at all." He smiled back. "I love you."

"Oh. I feel like an idiot now." I smiled at the floor playing with my fingers.

"No, don't. I should've told you from the beginning. It must not have been easy seeing me with her." Joey made me look up.

"It wasn't to be honest."

"Look, Lauren… Nothing with Janine matters. What I want, is you. Will you be my girlfriend again?"

"Joey I-" I stuttered in shock. I couldn't believe it. "Of course I will!"

"But we'll have to kinda keep it secret for now, until I get a confession from Janine." Joey sighed.

"Maybe I can help?" I slowly got out of bed to find some clothes.

"Lauren, I don't think-"

"Joey shut up. I exposed my Dad's affair years ago, I think I can get a confession from Janine." I winked as I hit him with my jeans.

I slowly walked towards Janine's front door. I couldn't believe I was actually helping Joey prove his sister's innocence.

"Can I help you?" Janine slowly opened the door looking disgusted as I stood opposite her.

"Joey in?" I smirked slightly.

"Uh, um. No. He's gone out." She looked towards the floor. From what Joey told me she didn't like anyone knowing about what was going on between the two.

"Oh, it's alright. I'll just wait for him then." I quickly pushed past Janine and into the living room.

"You should try the club; he said he was going there this morning." She followed me as I looked down and noticed a pair of Joey's boxers perfectly placed on the floor.

"His I presume?" I turned towards her.

Janine began to cough loud before answering. "Yes." She said in a quiet tone.

"Oh relax, he told me you're what he wants." I sat down on the sofa as she looked at me.

"What?" She looked shocked.

"Yeah, he told me. I practically threw myself at him the other night, but he told me he wanted you." I smiled at her slightly. Obviously that wasn't true.

"I see." Janine didn't seem pleased.

"Anyway, heard from Alice these days?" I began to change the subject.

"No. Why would I even want to hear from the girl that killed my husband?"

"Yeah. Uh, huh. I totally understand." I quickly got up and walked around the room trying to secretly figure out where the microphones were."So you actually saw Alice kill Michael did you?"

"I watched her stab him in the leg." Her eyes followed my every move.

"See, you told the police she stabbed him twice, once in the leg. And once in the chest. So something's not adding up here, Janine. Don't forget that you live in Walford. Nothing stays secret here for long." I stared at her for a second. "Have a nice day."

"Did you do it?" I heard a voice as I was pulled into a dark alley way.

"Yeah, Of course. She looked like she was about the crack as soon as I left the room." I smirked at him."All you've gotta do is wait for her to contact you. Since you're the only one she actually confides in."

"Lauren, thank you for this." He smiled as me before leaning in for a kiss as his phone vibrated in his pocket.

**_1 New Message_**

**_To: Joey _**

**_From: Janine_**

**_Can you come over, I need to see you._**

Joey looked up and smiled at me. "She took the bait."

"Now it's time to get your confession." I smirked at him.


	3. Victim Walks Free

"What's so important babe?" Joey walked inside Janine's house and followed her into the living room.

"Do you love me?" She asked in a weak tone.

"Of course I do." Joey continued to lie.

"I need you to promise me."

"Babe, what's wrong?" He tried to comfort her.

"It was me." Janine gulped as she looked at Joey. "I killed Michael."

"You killed Michael?" Joey echoed. "But, why blame Alice?"

"Because I had Scarlett to think of." Janine's eyes filled with tears like a waterfall. "I can't hide behind lies anymore. If we're going to be together, I can't deceive you any longer."

"Be together?" Joey burst out laughing. "Janine, there's only one girl I want… One girl I would do absolutely anything for."

"That's me… Right?" She began to worry.

"Nope, that's me." I slowly entered the room and held Joey's hand.

"Lauren is my future. Your future in the inside of a prison cell." He raised an eyebrow as I held up my phone and played back the recording of Janine's confession.

"No, give me that!" Janine screamed as the lunged towards me.

"TOUCH HER AND YOU WONT EVEN HAVE A FUTURE!" Joey shouted pushing her away from me.

"Whatever." Janine slowly backed away from us. "Don't do this to me, at least think of my daughter.

"You should've thought of her when you murdered her father!" I spat at her.

"I'll give you some advice. Lauren and I are going to the Police Station to give them this incriminating evidence, I suggest and you Scarlett pack your bags and run… Far, far away from here. That is if you want a future."

Joey honestly didn't care about what was going to happen to Janine or where she was going to go for that matter, all he cared about was getting Alice's name cleared so she could walk free. Suddenly after a few moments of thinking, Janine ran upstairs just as Joey and I walked outside and into the car.

"Are you really going to let her run free?" I asked as he began to head for the Police Station.

"I don't care what she does with her miserable life, I just want me sister freed." Joey smiled at me. "Thank you for doing this for me, for Alice."

"It's no problem. I'd do anything for you, you know that."

Joey and I arrived outside the Police Station and quickly walked into the reception. I waited over in the corner by a few seats as Joey told them he had evidence for the murder of Michael Moon. It actually took us an hour and a half for anybody to actually come and see us about the recording.

"Joey Branning?" A woman walked over to us. "I understand you have evidence for me." Joey and I stood up as we followed her into her office.

"I have a recording of Michael's wife, Janine Butcher, confessing to murdering him." Joey sat down next to me as he placed my phone on her desk and played it.

**_-The Recording-_**

**_"It was me. I killed Michael.."_**

**_"It was you? But why blame Alice?"_**

**_"I had Scarlett to think of."_**

**_-End Of Recording-_**

"Oh, Indeed… This changes everything." The woman nodded as she stared up at Joey. "I take it you brought this to free your sister."

"Obviously!" I said loudly and then realised where I was. "Sorry, sorry."

Joey smiled a little before nodding.

"Wait here a moment." The woman walked out of the room leaving me and Joey alone.

"Are you scared?" I looked up at Joey.

"Completely." He looked back.

"Don't be. She'll be free, I know it. You're a pretty amazing brother." I smiled at him, I was attempting to make him feel better.

The woman quickly walked back in. "Good news, Mr Branning… Alice is being released and the Police are tracking down Miss Butcher as we speak."

We walked back into reception as Alice slowly walked towards Joey smiled.

"Al!" Joey shouted as he ran over and hugged her.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry for hating you. I didn't mean it. I should've known you were doing it for me." She smiled up at him.

"It's fine, I understand why you were upset."

"What's Lauren doing here?" Alice turned her gaze towards me.

"Lauren and I are-" She cut me off.

"Are you guys back together?" Alice seemed excited.

I nodded with a smile on my face.

"Finally!" She giggled.

"What'd you mean finally?" Joey asked as we walked outside towards the car.

"Everybody could see you two still needed each other… Well everybody except you two." Alice smiled at us before getting in the car.

"Is she being serious?" I laughed.

"Well, She's defiantly got a point." Joey raised an eyebrow.


End file.
